title: Dietary fish oil modestly attenuates the effect of age on diastolic function but has no effect on memory or brain inflammation in aged rats.
abstract: Fish oil (FO) mediates a number of cardioprotective benefits in patients with cardiovascular disease. In the absence of cardiovascular disease, however, the effects of FO on cardiac structure and function are not clear. In addition, it is not known if an effective dosing strategy for attenuating age-related cardiac dysfunction is also effective at limiting cognitive dysfunction. Therefore, we determined if 4 months of FO supplementation in aged rats would lessen age-related cardiac dysfunction while concomitantly preventing the cognitive decline that is normally observed in this population. The results indicate that FO initiated late in life modifies diastolic function in a small but positive way by attenuating the age-related increases in filling pressure, posterior wall thickness, and interstitial collagen without mitigating age-related deficits in memory or increases in brain inflammation. These data raise the possibility that FO supplementation for purposes of cardiac and brain protection may need to occur earlier in the life span.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC 27157-1009, USA.
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sergeant
authors.forename: Joseph A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: McQuail
authors.forename: David R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Riddle
authors.forename: Floyd H
authors.initials: FH
authors.lastname: Chilton
authors.forename: Steven B
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Ortmeier
authors.forename: Jewell A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Jessup
authors.forename: Leanne
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Groban
authors.forename: Michelle M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Nicolle
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology*; D002452:Cell Count; D003071:Cognition / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D003971:Diastole / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D004042:Dietary Fats, Unsaturated / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004660:Encephalitis; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3 / Q000494:pharmacology; D005395:Fish Oils / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory / Q000187:drug effects*; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D009929:Organ Size / Q000187:drug effects; D051381:Rats; D014785:Vision, Ocular / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D004042:Dietary Fats, Unsaturated; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3; D005395:Fish Oils